Shaped article formed from a blend of a poly(aryl ether) and a polycarbonate and/or a polyarylate

Abstract

Described herein is a shaped article formed from a blend of a poly(aryl ether) resin and an aromatic polycarbonate resin and/or a polyacrylate resin. An article molded from such a blend has improved hydrolytic stability as compared with an article molded from the constituent components of the blend.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A shaped article having a tensile impact strength as measured by ASTM D-1822 after 80 cycles of steam sterilization at 270° F. of greater than 50 ft.-lbs./in. 2  formed from a blend consisting essentially of a poly(aryl ether) resin and a polyarylate resin wherein said poly(aryl ether) resin comprises from about 30 to about 80 weight percent of the article. 
     
     
       2. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein the poly(aryl ether) resin contains recurring units of the formula:   --O--E--O--E'--     wherein E is the residuum of a dihydric phenol, and E' is the residuum of a benzenoid compound having an inert electron withdrawing group in at least one of the positions ortho and para to the valence bonds; both of said residua are valently bonded to the ether oxygens through aromatic carbon atoms.   
     
     
       3. An article as defined in claim 2 wherein the dihydric phenol has the following structure: ##STR18## wherein Ar and Ar 1  are aromatic groups, R 1  and R' 1  can be the same or different inert substituent groups such as alkyl groups having from 1 to 4 carbons atoms, aryl, halogen atoms, or alkoxyl radicals having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, the c's are independently integers having a value of from 0 to 4, inclusive, and R 2  is representative of a bond between aromatic carbon atoms or is a divalent radical. 
     
     
       4. An article as defined in claim 3 wherein the dihydric phenol is selected from one or more of the following: ##STR19## in which the R 4  groups represent independently hydrogen, lower alkyl, aryl and the halogen substituted groups thereof, which can be the same or different; ##STR20## and substituted derivatives thereof. 
     
     
       5. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein the poly(aryl ether) has repeating units of the formula: ##STR21## 
     
     
       6. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein the poly(aryl ether) has repeating units of the formula: ##STR22## 
     
     
       7. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein the poly(aryl ether) has repeating units of the formula: ##STR23## 
     
     
       8. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein the polyarylate resin is derived from a dihydric phenol and at least one aromatic dicarboxylic acid. 
     
     
       9. An article as defined in claim 8 wherein the dihydric phenol is of the following formula: ##STR24## wherein Y is independently selected from, hydrogen, alkyl groups of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, chlorine or bromine, each d, independently, has a value of from 0 to 4, inclusive, and R 5  is a divalent saturated or unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon radical selected from an alkylene or alkylidene radical having from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, or a cycloalkylidene or cycloalkylene radical having up to and including 9 carbon atoms, 0, CO, SO 2 , or S. 
     
     
       10. An article as defined in claim 8 wherein the dicarboxylic acid is selected from terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       11. An article as defined in claim 1 wherein the polyarylate is derived from bisphenol A and a mixture of isophthalic and terephthalic acids. 
     
     
       12. An article as defined in claim 1 which consists essentially of from about 70 to about 20 wt. percent of the polyarylate resin. 
     
     
       13. An article as defined in claim 1 which consists essentially of from about 35 to about 70 wt. percent of the poly(aryl ether) resin and from about 65 to about 30 wt. percent of the polyarylate resin. 
     
     
       14. An article as defined in claim 13 which additionally consists essentially of from about 5 to about 40 wt. percent of an aromatic polycarbonate resin. 
     
     
       15. A shaped article as defined in claim 1 in the form of a contact lens case, a test tube, a bottle, a medical device or instrument, a waste container, a food service article or cookware.